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Date:      Thu, 30 May 2002 11:03:19 -0400 (EDT)
From:      John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org>
To:        Ruslan Ermilov <ru@FreeBSD.ORG>
Cc:        cvs-all@FreeBSD.ORG, cvs-committers@FreeBSD.ORG, "J. Mallett" <jmallett@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: cvs commit: src/usr.bin/split split.1
Message-ID:  <XFMail.20020530110319.jhb@FreeBSD.org>
In-Reply-To: <20020530062446.GC60627@sunbay.com>

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On 30-May-2002 Ruslan Ermilov wrote:
> On Wed, May 29, 2002 at 11:19:25PM -0700, J. Mallett wrote:
>> * From Ruslan Ermilov <ru@FreeBSD.ORG>
>> > On Wed, May 29, 2002 at 11:09:45PM -0700, J. Mallett wrote:
>> > > * From Ruslan Ermilov <ru@FreeBSD.org>
>> > > > ru          2002/05/29 23:07:29 PDT
>> > > > 
>> > > >   Modified files:
>> > > >     usr.bin/split        split.1 
>> > > >   Log:
>> > > >   mdoc(7) police: use .Fl to denote stdin.
>> > > 
>> > > Is this really right?  It certainly isn't a flag in the case of:
>> > >  diff -u foo -
>> > > 
>> > > is it?
>> > > 
>> > > Wouldn't .Pa be more appropriate, or something?
>> > > 
>> > No, using .Pa wouldn't be more appropriate, as ``-'' isn't a real path.
>> > Current mdoc(7) practices tell us:
>> > 
>> > :    The `.Fl' macro without any arguments results in a dash representing
>> > :    stdin/stdout.
>> 
>> What about .Ar then, as this is an explicit argument that a program must grok,
>> it is not handled like a flag, and in fact none of our flag processing stuff
>> handles it, namely getopt(3).  Seems to me it's just a special .Ar file ...
>> possibility.  Just because it is symbolic doesn't mean it should be notated
>> differently, unless you show all possible usages including where stdin could
>> be used as a file...  Doesn't seem right to me...  What was the logic in the
>> .Fl macro being used for it?
>> 
> .Ar isn't right either because it denotes argument names, not the actual
> values.  There isn't currently a macro like ``argument's value'', and I
> routinely use the .Cm macro for that (for well-known argument names).
> In this case, the file's argument value is (``-''), i.e. ``.Cm \&-'', but
> then again (from mdoc(7)):
> 
>:  Command Modifiers
>:    The command modifier is identical to the `.Fl' (flag) command with the
>          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>:    exception that the `.Cm' macro does not assert a dash in front of every
>:    argument.  Traditionally flags are marked by the preceding dash, however,
>:    some commands or subsets of commands do not use them.  Command modifiers
>:    may also be specified in conjunction with interactive commands such as
>:    editor commands.  See Flags.

You should not markup based on appearance like HTML does, but based on actual
content like DocBook.  The macros should then render the appropriate appearance
for the content.  How would you mark up this:

diff -u foo bar

You should mark up

diff -u foo -

in exactly the same manner as '-' is playing the same role as 'bar' in the
first one.  Surely you aren't going to say '.Fl bar' are you? :)

-- 

John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org>  <><  http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/
"Power Users Use the Power to Serve!"  -  http://www.FreeBSD.org/

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